Newsstand News & Rumors

Bears To Tag CB Jaylon Johnson

March 5th, 2024 at 1:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Procrastination reigns in the NFL. Coming into Tuesday, only two teams — the Bengals and Chiefs — had used their franchise tags. A host of subsequent tag calls are coming in hours before the 3pm deadline.

The Bears will follow through with their long-rumored Jaylon Johnson tag, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Although the Bears let Johnson seek a trade before last year’s deadline, they held onto the breakout corner. After an All-Pro season, the former second-round pick will be tied to a $19.8MM tag.

Given the interest from the Bears and Johnson about a long-term Chicago partnership, this was not a difficult tag to predict. As a result, the Bears will have until July 15 to work on an extension with the former second-round pick. Ryan Poles‘ team came into Tuesday with considerable cap space. The Bears will still have more than $55MM after tagging Johnson.

No cornerback had been tagged since the Rams kept Trumaine Johnson off the 2017 free agent market; this year, two corners have been cuffed. While the Chiefs have opened the window to a tag-and-trade move involving L’Jarius Sneed, the Bears look more likely to hang onto Johnson and work on an extension. The sides resumed talks recently.

Johnson, 25, did not look like a possible tag recipient coming into last season; like many have in modern NFL history, Johnson timed his breakout well. Pro Football Focus rated Johnson as the league’s best cornerback in 2023, and the former second-round pick intercepted four passes and allowed just a 50.9 passer rating as the closest defender. Johnson’s previous-best rating allowed: 94.6 in 2022. It would make some sense if the Bears made the Utah alum prove his second-team All-Pro slate was not a fluke, but the sides were talking an extension midway through last season. With Johnson floating out the prospect he wants to become the NFL’s highest-paid corner, these negotiations might be tricky.

Although Johnson has not proven to be a difference-maker over multiple seasons, the tag gives him some leverage in talks. Due to the recent cap spike, the 2024 CB tag number nearly matches Jaire Alexander‘s position-record AAV ($21MM). That said, the Bears also hold leverage by using the tag. Johnson can realistically only negotiate with one team, though the Bears would be entitled to a two-first-rounder haul if they failed to match another club’s offer sheet. That is a rare occurrence in franchise tag history.

Contract talks not progressing last fall led the Bears to let Johnson seek a trade hours before the deadline. The Bills and 49ers were among the teams to show interest, but the Bears sought a first- or second-round pick for the four-year starter. It is safe to assume no such offer emerged, and the sides regrouped. The Bears subsequently traded for Montez Sweat and extended him. With most of the Ryan Pace-era pieces off the roster on defense, Poles has some room to maneuver on defense. Although he did authorize a top-five ILB contract for Tremaine Edmunds, Poles does not have a big-ticket contract in place in the secondary at present. That could clear some runway space for a Johnson accord by July.

For now, teams in need of cornerbacks may look to the trade market. Conversely, the second-tier corners on this year’s market stand to see their price tags rise as a result of the Sneed and Johnson tags.

Texans, TE Dalton Schultz Agree To Deal

March 5th, 2024 at 12:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

A mutual interest was known to exist between the Texans and tight end Dalton Schultz. An agreement has been worked out between the sides; Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports a three-year, $36MM contract is now in place.

The pact includes $23.5MM fully guaranteed at signing, making the negotiating process a highly successful one for Schultz and his representation. After joining Houston on a one-year agreement last offseason, the former Cowboys starter has secured a long-term investment with an up-and-coming AFC contender.

Schultz made it clear last month that he intended to remain with the Texans if possible. Likewise, Houston remained interested in working out an agreement after the success of his debut season with the team. With wideout Nico Collins and Tank Dell in place for at least one more season, Schultz will comprise an effective third element in the Texans’ passing game.

The latter developed into a solid producer with the Cowboys beginning in 2020 in particular. He upped his value considerably during his Dallas tenure, peaking with a statline of 78-808-8 the following year. No agreement could be worked out on a long-term deal, though, and Schultz played on the franchise tag in 2022. His play that season set him up for free agency, where he only landed a $6.25MM Texans contract. Today’s accord will essentially double his AAV compared to last year’s.

Entering his age-28 season, Schultz will be counted on to remain a consistent contributor over the life of the contract. He recorded 635 yards and five touchdowns on 59 receptions in 2023, helping Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud lead the team to the divisional round. Their relationship will now continue for the foreseeable future, as Houston looks to keep as many core pieces in place as possible.

A splashy addition at the running back spot has been circulated in the Texans’ case, and it will be interesting to see if that plays out. In any event, though, Schultz is locked in as an integral component of the team’s efforts to build off last year’s success.

Buccaneers To Use Franchise Tag On S Antoine Winfield Jr.

March 5th, 2024 at 12:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Franchise tag decisions are coming in hours before the application deadline. As expected, the Buccaneers will prioritize their young All-Pro safety.

Antoine Winfield Jr. will not be given the chance to hit free agency, with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reporting the second-generation NFL DB will be tagged. This has been the expected scenario for a bit, but with less than three hours until the deadline, the Bucs will make it official.

This moves Baker Mayfield closer to free agency, but with the quarterback tag costing over $20MM more than the safety tag, Tampa Bay had been expected to make the cheaper move here. The Bucs have until March 11 to keep Mayfield off the market, but they now have until July 15 to hammer out an extension with Winfield.

As should be expected given Winfield’s importance to the Bucs over the past four years, this is not setting up a “prove it” season from the All-Pro safety. The Bucs intend to discuss an extension, ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine tweets. Tampa Bay was interested in a Winfield extension before last season, but little of substance emerged following that report. Winfield proceeded to put together a dominant contract year, setting himself up for a potential top-market safety contract.

It is sensible for the Bucs to use the tag on Winfield due to its $17.12MM price. If would have cost the team more than $38MM to tag Mayfield. That number being roughly $6MM north of what it cost the Ravens to cuff Lamar Jackson last year, it was a long shot the Bucs would take this route. But with Mayfield talks looming as the team’s top near-term priority, using this tool to keep Winfield on the back burner checks out. Mayfield and the Bucs remain engaged in talks about a second contract.

Winfield, 25, finished with six sacks and an NFL-leading six forced fumbles last season, including a goal-line strip of DJ Chark that allowed the Bucs to hold off the Panthers in Week 18 — a win vital to the team’s eventual journey to the divisional round. The Minnesota alum also established new career-high marks in tackles (122) and interceptions (three) in 2023. He has put himself on the radar to top Derwin James‘ safety-record AAV, which sits at $19MM. James has held that top spot since summer 2022. After Jessie Bates collected $16MM on the open market last year, the Bucs will not take that chance with Winfield, who started in Super Bowl LV as a rookie and has been an important defender during the Bucs’ run of playoff berths.

Ravens Place Franchise Tag On DT Justin Madubuike

March 5th, 2024 at 12:14pm CST by Adam La Rose

Justin Madubuike profiled as the Ravens’ top pending free agent and to no surprise, he will not reach the open market. The Pro Bowl defensive tackle received the franchise tag on Tuesday, per a team announcement.

A statement from general manager Eric DeCosta confirms Baltimore will continue negotiating a long-term agreement. Talks on that front took place during last week’s Combine, but no agreement was reached. Now, Madubuike will be tied – at least temporarily – to a 2024 salary and cap hit of $22.1MM.

The 26-year-old put up modest but improving numbers across his first three seasons in the league. A jump in production (particularly in the pass-rush department) was expected to an extent entering 2024, but the degree to which it took place was surprising. Madubuike posted 13 sacks and 33 QB pressures, shattering his previous marks in those and other categories while earning second-team All-Pro acclaim.

As a result, the expectation grew throughout the season that the Texas A&M product would be the next in line to secure a major DT pact. Reports recently made it clear the tag would be used the ensure such an offer would not come from an outside suitor, and now Baltimore will be tasked with hammering out a long-term agreement. Talks on that front can continue through to July 15.

The 2022 offseason saw several young producers along the defensive interior land new deals. A clear second tier behind Aaron Donald in terms of annual compensation emerged; Quinnen Williams, Jeffery Simmons, Dexter Lawrence and Daron Payne each agreed to multi-year contracts averaging between $22.5MM and $24MM per year and including almost identical guarantee figures. Maduibuike will no doubt be seeking an accord along the same lines after his breakout campaign.

The former third-rounder is one of several key pending free agents the Ravens have to deal with, however. Linebacker Patrick Queen, right guard Kevin Zeitler and edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney are among the starters at risk of departing once the new league year opens, and the same is true of multiple other starters on both sides of the ball. Locking in Madubuike on a multi-year pact will be necessary to avoid carrying his $22.1MM cap hit in full during the 2024 season. The ability of both team and player to come to an agreement will therefore remain a storyline worth following.

Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic noted early today that the Ravens still believed a long-term Madubuike deal was possible with the understanding the tag would otherwise come into play as a placeholder. That will be the case for now, but Baltimore will continue to seek a deal beyond 2024 while juggling other pressing free agent matters.

Buccaneers, Mike Evans Agree To Deal

March 5th, 2024 at 11:24am CST by Adam La Rose

MARCH 5, 11:24am: The upfront payout will be critical for Evans, because this contract will carry a base value of $41MM, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio indicates. Of that $41MM, $29MM is fully guaranteed. The contract guarantees Evans $6MM of his 2025 salary at signing and an additional $6MM comes in the form of an injury guarantee. The other $6MM of Evans’ 2025 money is nonguaranteed.

This still represents a nice third contract for Evans, though it is interesting, given the drama that came when Evans set a hard negotiating deadline late last summer, it was enough to keep him off the market.

MARCH 4, 9:35pm: We’ve got some more details on Evans’ new deal with the Buccaneers. Greg Auman of FOX Sports says the $52MM total represents the maximum value, meaning the receiver will likely have to earn a chunk of that money via incentives. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Jenna Laine passes along that Evans will earn $29MM of his $35MM guarantee in the first year of the two-year pact.

8:15am: Instead of testing the market next week, Mike Evans will remain in Tampa Bay on a new pact. The veteran wideout has agreed to a two-year Buccaneers contract, per his agents (via Mike Garafolo of NFL Network).

ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds that the contract is worth $52MM and includes $35MM guaranteed. Evans had been linked to an asking price of $25MM per season, and he has managed to land it without needing to reach free agency. Projected to be one of the top available wideouts on the market, he will now be able to continue his decorated Bucs tenure for an 11th and 12th season.

As Garafolo notes, Tampa Bay’s urgency to get a deal hammered out picked up in recent days, with the franchise tag deadline and the start of free agency not far away (video link). The team still has agreements with quarterback Baker Mayfield and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. to work out, but one major piece of business has now been taken care of.

Evans was expected to at least gauge his market next week once the new league year began. That update came as little surprise given the gap which continued to exist between team and player during negotiations, something which dated back to last summer. Talks were shut down once the 2023 campaign started, and signs pointed to the five-time Pro Bowler facing the possibility of heading elsewhere. Now, though, he has secured one of the most lucrative WR pacts in the league in terms of annual average value while remaining in place.

This $26MM-per-year agreement will slot Evans behind only Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams and Cooper Kupp in terms of AAV. The short-term nature of the pact will help Tampa Bay aim to keep its offensive core in place for the time being while preventing a lucrative investment deep into Evans’ 30s. The uber-consistent producer is entering his age-31 season, but his ability to continue delivering 1,000-yard seasons (as well as his chemistry with Mayfield) should make this a relatively safe proposition for the Bucs.

The Texas A&M product recorded 1,255 yards in 2023, Mayfield’s first in Tampa Bay. That figure was his highest since 2018, and – coupled with a league-leading 13 touchdown receptions – it no doubt helped boost his value on a third contract. Evans landed a five-year, $82.5MM pact in 2018, and he has to no surprise secured a much larger AAV on his latest deal given the receiver market’s jump in value and the length of this new contract. The 2018 deal included only $3MM more in guaranteed money at the time of signing, so today’s news is certainly a success from his perspective.

Schefter notes the Chiefs were expected to be among the suitors for Evans if he had reached the open market. A number of other teams would have been interested as well, though few serious suitors likely would have had the means of reaching his asking price if he had landed a similar or more valuable contract than this latest Bucs one. The list of high-end wideouts set to reach free agency next week has now been notably shortened.

Tampa Bay’s offense lost coordinator Dave Canales this offseason when he took the Panthers’ head coaching gig. While the unit will face questions related to its ability to replicate Canales’ success, having Evans in the fold will give the Buccaneers a familiar and consistent option in the passing game. The team can now turn its attention to getting a Mayfield deal on the books before the new league year begins in a bid to keep his partnership with Evans intact moving forward.

Panthers Place Franchise Tag On Brian Burns

March 5th, 2024 at 9:30am CST by Adam La Rose

With no long-term deal in sight, the Panthers will move forward with the expected decision on Brian Burns. The Pro Bowl edge rusher has been told he will receive the franchise tag, per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report. The team has since announced the move.

Burns has long been an obvious candidate for the tag, which will pay out $24MM guaranteed. That figure will eat into much of Carolina’s available cap space if he plays out the 2024 season on the tender, but questions about his future with the organization have persisted for some time now.

Contract talks have been on and off between the Panthers and the 25-year-old. Burns played on his $16MM fifth-year option in 2023, and the lack of a long-term pact kept him in trade talks. Carolina once again elected to keep him in the fold, but the passing of the deadline did not spur a new round of negotiations. With the parties still not on the verge of an agreement, talks were put on hold during last week’s Combine.

For that reason, many have pointed to a tag-and-trade being on the table as the Panthers look to avoid Burns departing in free agency in 2025. The Rams made an offer including two first-round picks in 2022, and teams have remained highly interested in the Florida State alum. Washington was among the suitors in the build-up to this year’s trade deadline, and those still in a favorable cap situation will no doubt show at least a degree of interest. With Burns requiring a lucrative pact upon arrival, however, it would come as a surprise if Carolina was able to secure a better draft haul than the previous Rams offer.

Seeing as the non-exclusive tag has been used, Burns will be eligible to negotiate a contract with outside suitors. An agreement which goes unmatched from the Panthers will result in two first-round picks as compensation, though a trade would allow an acquiring team to pay out a different price to Carolina. Burns and the Panthers will be able to negotiate a long-term deal as late as July 15 if no trade takes place.

Given where things stand on that front, though, considerable progress would need to be made for an agreement keeping him in Charlotte beyond 2024 to be hammered out. Burns has been connected to a higher asking price (roughly $30MM per season) than the team is willing to reach. Nick Bosa‘s historic 49ers extension carries an AAV of $34MM, which comfortably leads the pack. Carolina would likely add Burns to the list of eight edge rushers earning between $22MM and $28MM on their respective pacts if a multi-year deal were to come to fruition.

Burns posted double-digit sacks for the first time in his career in 2022, totaling 12.5. He followed that up with eight last season, bringing his career total to 46 in five years. Not known for his run defense, he will nevertheless be an attractive option for teams looking to make a pricey investment along the edge. The Panthers will need to weigh their options on the Burns front while also sorting out the futures of other key defenders such as Frankie Luvu and Derrick Brown.

Eagles’ Jason Kelce Confirms Retirement

March 4th, 2024 at 10:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

In the wake of the Eagles’ wild-card loss, it was reported center Jason Kelce informed his teammates of his intention to retire. The future Hall of Famer confirmed that decision in a press conference on Monday.

Kelce’s future remained uncertain until Monday, as he declined to make a formal announcement. He spoke about a desire to remain with the Eagles in some capacity, while also looking into a potential transition to the broadcast booth. The 36-year-old has done extensive homework with multiple networks, and there will no doubt be a considerable market for his services in his post-playing days.

A sixth-round pick in 2011, Kelce was a full-time starter in his rookie season and he maintained his place atop the depth chart throughout his storied career. He was forced to miss considerable time only once in his 13-year tenure, and he was able to suit up for every game from 2015 onwards. Across that span, Kelce cemented his status as one of the best O-lineman (at any position) of his generation.

The Cincinnati alum earned at least a Pro Bowl invitation or a first-team All-Pro nod every year from 2016 through his final campaign. The waning years of his career proved Kelce was still capable of playing at an elite level while remaining an integral part of the Eagles’ offensive front. Instead of pursuing a 14th campaign and the chance at a third Super Bowl appearance (and second championship), though, he will hang up his cleats and turn his attention elsewhere.

Kelce ranks second on the franchise’s all-time games played list with 193, just behind fellow ‘Core Four’ member Brandon Graham. The latter’s future is in question, although he and right tackle Lane Johnson have stated a desire to play in 2024. The final member of the illustrious quartet – defensive tackle Fletcher Cox – is believed to be leaning toward hanging up his cleats at some point this offseason. Regardless of what happens with the other Philadelphia mainstays, Kelce’s absence will be acutely felt.

Over each of the past three years, he and the Eagles have worked out one-year contracts knowing a retirement decision would looming in relatively short order. Kelce’s latest pact is set up so he can remain on the team’s roster beyond June 1 before being placed on the retirement list. Once that procedural move takes place, Philadelphia will begin a new era under center. Cam Jurgens – who was drafted in 2022 as Kelce’s successor and played at right guard in 2023 – could move to center with the sizable challenge of replacing a franchise icon.

“It has always been a goal of mine to play my whole career in one city,” Kelce said during his press conference, via ESPN’s Tim McManus. “I couldn’t have dreamt a better one if I tried.”

Kelce will walk away from the game with more than $85MM in career earnings. His next endeavor will be worth following closely, especially if he elects to try his hand at broadcasting in 2024 or down the road. In any event, a spot in Canton no doubt awaits him with his playing career now in the books.

49ers Promote Nick Sorensen To DC, Add Brandon Staley To Staff

March 2nd, 2024 at 10:29pm CST by Ben Levine

After eyeing five candidates for their open defensive coordinator job, the 49ers have landed on an in-house option. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the 49ers are promoting defensive passing game specialist Nick Sorensen to defensive coordinator. The 49ers are also hiring another DC candidate, Brandon Staley, for a “prominent staff role,” according to Schefter. That could include the role of assistant head coach.

Following a 10-year playing career, Sorensen transitioned to coaching in 2013. He spent close to a decade on the Seahawks staff, initially working as an assistant special teams coach before moving to the defensive side of the ball, where he served as the team’s secondary coach for four years.

The Jaguars hired him as their special teams coordinator in 2021, but he only lasted a season in Jacksonville before joining the 49ers as a defensive assistant in 2022. It took him one year to earn a promotion to defensive pass game coordinator/nickels coach.

While the 49ers cast a relatively wide net to replace Steve Wilks, the organization hinted that they were valuing continuity in their search. The 49ers also interviewed defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks for the role, and Schefter notes that the organization didn’t want to “stray far from what it has done defensively for the past seven years.” In fact, Schefter adds that part of the reason why Wilks was fired was because of his inability to “adapt to the defensive scheme” of former 49ers squads led by Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans.

While Sorensen has only been on the staff for two seasons, he does possess familiarity with the team’s scheme. Pete Carroll ran a similar defense in Seattle, and Schefter notes that Sorensen’s experience was “perhaps most valuable” in his promotion.

Staley was fired by the Chargers back in December following two-plus seasons with the organization. He finished his head coaching stint with a 24-24 record, including a single one-and-done playoff appearance. Prior to his stint with the Chargers, Staley served as the defensive coordinator with the Rams in 2020. He also previously served as linebackers coach for the Broncos and Bears.

While Staley’s defensive scheme differs from the 49ers’ scheme, GM John Lynch said that wouldn’t prevent the coach from joining the staff.

“He’s a really bright dude,” Lynch said (via Schefter). “We have an open mind, but we do know there’s certain core principles that we’re going to always be on the defensive side. … I wouldn’t rule him out because of that.”

Staley is expected to be the team’s new assistant head coach, a role previously held by Anthony Lynn (who, ironically, was also a former Chargers HC). After spending the past two seasons in San Francisco, Lynn joined Dan Quinn‘s new Commanders staff as their run game coordinator/running backs coach.

Chiefs Prepared To Tag L’Jarius Sneed, Grant CB Permission To Seek Trade

February 28th, 2024 at 1:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

1:46pm: No tag has been applied yet, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes (video link), adding the Chiefs are following through on the trade component regarding Sneed. They have given the emerging cornerback permission to seek a trade. The Super Bowl champs remain prepared to tag Sneed, but they might view assets obtained in a trade as more valuable.

In addition to the Ford and Clark tag-and-trade maneuvers under Reid, the Chiefs have benefited from the cost-controlled cogs brought in via the Tyreek Hill trade. The Chiefs, who created $12MM in cap space by releasing Marquez Valdes-Scantling today, may well be readying to clear the decks for a bigger Jones offer. They are cautiously optimistic on retaining Jones, per NFL.com’s James Palmer. Either way, Sneed’s status as part of the 2024 roster appears a bit less certain now.

FEBRUARY 28, 9:06am: The Chiefs are believed to have gone through with the rumored tag, according to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. This will place a $19.8MM cap hold on Kansas City’s payroll, but it ensures Sneed will not reach the market. The Chiefs will keep their focus on a Jones deal, knowing they can revisit Sneed talks later due to the tag.

FEBRUARY 27: Shortly after Brett Veach indicated the Chiefs are likely to use their franchise tag this year, the expected recipient emerged. The Chiefs are preparing to tag L’Jarius Sneed, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

A Sneed tag will cost the Chiefs $19.8MM, but they are not committed to carrying that lofty cap number on their books this year. The team has informed the standout cornerback it would be OK working out a trade if an extension cannot be reached, Fowler adds, noting Sneed is onboard with that plan. Kansas City will have until July 15 to extend Sneed, though tag-and-trade maneuvers can take place after that date.

A tag will only be applied if the Chiefs cannot reach a long-term deal with the fifth-year corner, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets. Teams have until 3pm CT on March 5 to apply tags, giving the Chiefs a week to negotiate an extension. Doing so would bolster their chances of keeping Chris Jones, as a Sneed extension would reduce his 2024 cap hit compared to a tag. As for Jones, the team is still working on a deal. Veach said (via CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones) they will meet with Jones’ camp tonight, but the sides have been at this since last summer.

Jones, 29, is less than two weeks from being free to speak with other teams as a free agent. The Chiefs are aiming to re-sign their top defender, but after tagging him in 2020, a second tag had been viewed as an unrealistic scenario. But this will ensure the Chiefs keep one of their two impact defenders off the market. The Jones matter could become a seminal moment as the Chiefs assemble their 2024 roster — which will be tasked with completing the first threepeat in the Super Bowl era — but it would have cost the team more than $32MM to tag the perennial All-Pro defensive tackle.

While the Chiefs trading Sneed would obviously hurt their defense, it would not be out of character based on the team’s Andy Reid-era moves at corner. Although Kansas City gave Sean Smith a midlevel deal in Reid’s first offseason in charge, they have shied away from paying corners since. The team traded Marcus Peters in 2018 and let starters Steven Nelson, Kendall Fuller and Charvarius Ward respectively depart during the 2019, 2020 and 2022 offseasons.

Sneed, 27, being tagged and then traded would mark a new chapter associated with the Chiefs’ penchant for making corners one-contract players. But this situation also could produce a pivot from the two-time reigning champs, signaling the organization may value a corner enough for a big-ticket extension. It could double as an effort to signal to a player like Trent McDuffie, who remains on a rookie contract, the Chiefs are not committed to letting CBs walk after their rookie deals expire. Both Sneed and McDuffie stood out during what became a defense-powered Chiefs championship season, and as of now, the young tandem will be poised to play together again in 2024.

A trade would be a fascinating play here. The Bears have long been rumored to be ready to tag Jaylon Johnson, though the sides are still negotiating ahead of the next week’s deadline. Chicago indeed tagging Johnson would then become a coveted commodity in a trade; both CBs being off the market would benefit the next wave of FA corners, with Fuller among them.

The Chiefs have gone to the tag-and-trade well before. They were on the receiving end off a Matt Cassel tag-and-trade in 2009; 10 years later, the team completed two tag-and-trade transactions in one offseason. After tagging Dee Ford and sending him to San Francisco, Kansas City acquired franchise-tagged defensive end Frank Clark from Seattle.

Tuesday’s news will put a Sneed swap in play, though it would be interesting to see the Chiefs both open to trading Sneed and being close to letting Jones hit the market. The Chiefs had a Clark deal in place upon trading for him; a Sneed trade could well involve another team having a contract in place as well, Fowler adds.

Asked to patrol the slot earlier in his career, Sneed shifted to a boundary role later. This brought positive results, elevating the former fourth-round pick’s stock. Last season, Sneed delivered an impact performance, regularly shadowing No. 1 wide receivers and allowing just a 56.2 passer rating as the closest defender. His goal-line strip of Zay Flowers stalled the Ravens’ momentum, helping the Chiefs hold on in the AFC championship game. Sneed has not yet garnered an All-Pro nod or a Pro Bowl honor, but he has now started for two Super Bowl-winning teams and been a regular defender in three Super Bowls.

Sneed stands to follow Tee Higgins among tagged players this year. The Chiefs do have McDuffie and two other 2022 draftees — Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson — at corner. This younger crop and Kansas City’s past actions at corner would not make a trade a surprise.

Sneed also questioned whether the Chiefs would have enough money to pay both he and Jones. Before a Sneed tag is applied, the Chiefs will need to make moves to create cap space. They hold just more than $16MM. This tag’s near-$20MM cap hold will obviously make it more difficult to re-sign Jones, as teams will be watching to see if the future Hall of Fame defender will become available when the legal tampering period opens March 11.

Bengals Use Franchise Tag On Tee Higgins

February 23rd, 2024 at 9:08pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bengals have a number of pending free agents to deal with heading into the new league year, but the team has made the decision to cover their bases with wide receiver Tee Higgins by informing him that they will apply the franchise tag to him in 2024, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The team has since announced the move.

If Higgins had been selected one pick earlier in 2020, Cincinnati may have been enjoying the luxury of a fifth-year option right now. Instead, as the first pick of the second round, Higgins’ four-year rookie contract has now come to an end. One of the more consistent producers of the past four years, Higgins was sure to draw a nice deal in free agency.

The franchise tag numbers were released by the NFL today, informing us that the Bengals move will cost them $21.82MM. The Bengals will now have until July 15 to work out a long-term deal, and as Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com writes, Cincy is currently trying to do just that. If player and team cannot come to terms by the March 5 deadline for utilizing the franchise tag, the Bengals will hit Higgins with the tag but will continue extension discussions.

As a rookie, Higgins took over in a receiving room that included Tyler Boyd and an aging A.J. Green. He would lead the team in both receiving yards (908) and touchdowns (six). His sophomore season, Higgins watched a rookie Ja’Marr Chase do the same thing he had done his rookie year. Despite improving his yards (1,091) and matching his touchdown total (six) from the previous year in two fewer games, Higgins was outpaced by Chase’s stellar rookie totals. In 2022, the two established themselves one of the premier receiving duos in the league as Higgins once again surpassed the 1,000-yard mark and caught seven touchdowns.

In this season’s contract year, Higgins failed to deliver a fourth straight strong season to really bolster his free agency resume. Still, despite missing five games, Higgins was second on the team with five touchdown receptions and was 11 yards short of finishing second in receiving yards, as well. Had he played the extra five games, he would’ve been on pace to see similar numbers to his rookie year; this all despite the season-ending injury to star quarterback Joe Burrow.

Regardless, the Bengals have had to set their sights on the futures of all three of their top receivers, including veteran Tyler Boyd. Chase still has two years on his rookie deal, including the fifth-year option, but as one of the league’s best young wideouts, Cincinnati should feel early pressure to get him inked to a long-term deal sooner rather than later. Boyd also faces free agency after finishing out his four-year, $43MM extension. The Bengals famously are not fans of doling out third contracts to veterans, but they did break their own rule by extending defensive end Trey Hendrickson last year. It will be interesting to see if Boyd returns or if Cincinnati goes in a younger direction.

While decisions on Chase and Boyd remain, Higgins’ situation becomes a bit less pressing now. As noted above, the Bengals will continue working on an extension to keep Higgins around long-term, but by applying the franchise tag, they’ve laid out a safety net that buys them a bit more time.

For now, this puts Higgins just under the average annual value of players like Deebo Samuel and Terry McLaurin and just over players like D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen. Cincinnati holds $72.84MM of cap space, after the release of the new salary cap numbers today, good for fifth-most in the league. The Bengals will need every bit of it to navigate some of the contract decisions they’ll have to make moving forward.

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